


Maybe We Should Take a Trip to Jupiter

by ApocalypticNinja



Category: Metal Gear
Genre: Add tags as I go, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Cliche, Fluff and Angst, Idiots in Love, M/M, Minor Angst, Mutual Pining, One Shot Collection, Pre-Relationship, Romance, brief description of past injuries/death, pre-Philanthropy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-13
Updated: 2019-01-17
Packaged: 2019-10-09 16:15:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17410124
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ApocalypticNinja/pseuds/ApocalypticNinja
Summary: "Hal and Dave, that's a good one,"They both shared a laugh at that before the soldier spoke again. "Maybe we should take a trip to Jupiter.""So, where are you going, Dave?"-Hal gripped tightly onto Dave, the rush of icy wind hitting his face from every direction. His entire body was freezing, his fingers felt numb. He buried his face into the soldier's back, refusing to turn his gaze back in the direction of Shadow Moses.No matter what happened now, they would be okay. Of course they would be okay.After all, they had each other.-this will be a book focusing on the relationship between Hal/Dave!there will be a bunch of mini fics, one-shots, headcanons, and actual full-length fics. however, every chapter is a stand-alone unless stated otherwise![more information available in the first chapter]





	1. Chapter 1

hi there! 

in this first chapter i'm just going to be explaining a few things, but they're rather important so please read this! 

1\. i will be using correct grammar/capitalization/punctuation in my writing, just not in my notes in chapters or my rambling! 

2\. i put notes/warnings at the beginning of every chapter, so don't worry about stumbling across something you don't want to read! i make sure to tag everything accordingly, and i will make sure to put a warning in bold at the beginning of the chapter. 

3\. requests! yes, you can make requests!   
[please know this however: if a request makes me uncomfortable in any way, i will not write it! if it comes to that, i will let you know, so don't worry. but i will try to work something out where i can still write your request!] 

-each chapter is a stand-alone unless stated otherwise. [this will be organized just like my other book, but better since this is my second book haha.]  
i'm mainly focusing on different moments in their relationship, as well as a few chapters before they get together! i have a lot planned for this!  
also! there is no specific order the chapters go in, so you can just skip around and read whatever you want.

-i will be publishing this to my Wattpad account as well, so if you see this on there, don't be alarmed! 

if there is anything you would like to know, feel free to message me! :^)


	2. Hold Me Close and Never Let Go

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello there lads! so for the first chapter i originally planned some light angst, but i'll cover that in some later chapters. instead, this is full of some mutual pining and fluff! it takes place during the early philanthropy days, so woo!  
> they're stuck in a shitty motel that was heavily inspired by the one on the outskirts of my small ass town.  
> i'm actually not too happy with how this one turned out but..oh well. i'm still getting a feel on how to write them honestly!
> 
> //one more thing...would you rather have me refer to them as dave & hal, or snake & otacon? maybe both?//
> 
> WARNING(s): cursing (i mean c'mon it's snake), mentions of alcohol abuse/drinking in general, minor angst (hal is overthinking everything), some minor fourth wall breaks bc i love that shit, but nothing else really!

The snow started to fall earlier that morning, but they hadn't really thought anything of it. What began as a light snowfall turned into a rather dangerous snowstorm, so now Dave and Hal were stuck holed up in some   
shitty motel. To make matters worse, their heater suddenly quit working and neither of them were properly dressed to withstand the cold. Of course. How cliché is that? 

"You'd think living in Alaska would prepare you for something like this" 

Hal mindlessly stated as a shiver ran through his body. He clutched a steaming cup of tea in his hands as he maneuvered himself to sit on the edge of the bed. Dave let out a "hmph" in response before collapsing onto the bed as well. Hal yelped and held his cup in the air as if it would save the tea from spilling over the edges. Some of it still managed to get on his hands and Hal scrunched his nose, opting to hold his tea in one hand while wiping off his other hand on his pants. 

Dave was sprawled across the too-small bed, not so comfortably laying on his stomach with his gaze locked on Hal. Although he was looking at the other man, his mind wandered to everything else. 

The room was far too small in Hal's opinion, but then again, he really shouldn't complain. They managed to grab the room before the roads became too slick to drive on, so Dave considers it a steal. 

However, the room itself was basically shit. There was a single bed positioned in the center of the room, the lights constantly flickered (before the power went out anyway), it was painted a dark shade of yellow- unless it was cigarette smoke that made it that way- and all of the appliances appeared to be outdated. Everything was run-down or broken- no wonder the room was so cheap. 

Eventually Dave's thoughts ran from the room to Hal and how he ended up joining him to help Philanthropy. Then back to his dogs, which he already missed deeply.  
Sometimes, especially on days like today, when his thoughts become murky and he starts dwelling on the past, he feels like drinking himself into oblivion. He craves a drink so he can escape the feelings associated with memories, to escape the seemingly never-ending nightmares, to just fucking forget.   
But he can't.   
He promised-

His thoughts were abruptly broken to the sound of Hal calling his name. A worried expression passed over his features, but Dave chose to ignore it. Not that he didn't care, he just..wasn't the best when it came to emotions. He still wasn't used to having Hal constantly worry and fret over him after all. 

"You alright?" Hal asked softly. 

"...Yea. I'm okay, just thinking." 

Hal nodded, knowing better than to pry. He stood up and placed his cup down before stretching his arms above his head, his shoulders and back popping in the process. Dave curiously looked over at the sound, but Hal was already sitting once again and attempting to pull his jacket closer around his body. He was shaking but obviously trying to hide it. 

Dave reached up and grabbed his arm which made Hal jump slightly, not expecting the sudden contact. 

"We have a blanket, you know," He started. 

"Well, it doesn't do us any good if you're laying on top of it!" Hal teased. 

Dave rolled his eyes and sat up, motioning for Hal to get under the blanket. He happily did so, and eventually Dave did as well. Hal's shivering only got worse as he attempted to curl in on himself, staying a good distance away from Dave. Well, as much as the small bed would allow, but it really wasn't much at all. 

The moon hung high overhead, covered by clouds and a blanket of snow. At this rate they're probably going to be stuck here for a while. Oh that's just wonderful. 

Hal leaned over the edge of the bed after he took off his glasses, placing them on a box that he used as a makeshift nightstand. He would rather trust the box over the actual nightstand on Dave's side anyway. He closed his eyes and tried to settle in a comfortable position, but how comfortable could you possibly get when you're less than a foot away from the man you have feelings for? Hal shut his eyes tightly and pursed his lips. He really didn't need to be thinking about that. At least he was facing away from Dave so he couldn't see him. For all Dave knew, Hal was already asleep.   
But then again, could he really even see in the darkness? Dave wasn't superhuman, dumbass, of course he didn't have night vision.   
...That would be pretty neat, though. 

As the night pressed on, the temperature only increasingly got colder, and Hal's shivering got worse. He mentally cursed as he pulled the blanket up to his nose. He heard Dave sigh before a quiet "for fucks sake" fall past his lips. Hal was confused for a brief moment before he felt an arm snake it's way around him and pull him flush against Dave's chest. Hal squeaked out an "ah!" from surprise. His face suddenly turned a deep crimson at the realization of their current situation. Holy shit he's basically cuddling the legendary Solid Snake, the man who stole his heart; Hal, no, stop that! Don't think that! 

"With the way you were trembling over there, you'd think you were going to freeze to death. Now go to sleep." Dave finally said. 

Okay, that makes sense. This is purely for the fact that they need to keep warm. That's it. No feelings attached.   
...Right? 

Hal was having an inner debate with himself, his body rigid and stiff against Dave. Dave took it as a sign that he really didn't want to do this, and Dave has just gone and made him uncomfortable. Now it was his turn to ask if Hal was alright. 

"Is this okay?" 

"Hm?" Hal asked. "Oh um, yes! It's fine! I'm just..not comfortable at the moment, ah.." Hal's words started out fast, but eventually they slowed to a halt, hesitating to say anything else. 

Dave felt his heart deflate at Hal's words. Maybe he was reading Hal's signs wrong after all. He knew that he should've repressed his feelings instead of acting on them and doing something as dumb as this. He started to pull his arm away as he spoke. 

"Hal, if you're not comfortable with this, we don't have to do this you know." 

Hal quickly grabbed his hand so he wouldn't pull away, his mind stuck in a state of holy shit p a n i c, but soon he mustered the courage to speak. 

"N-no no, that's not what I meant! This- this is fine, I promise!" Hal stuttered out. He hesitated for a brief moment before turning himself around in Dave's embrace. Now his face was inches away from Dave's own, which made his cheeks flush yet again. He scooted down a little bit to where his head was resting just under Dave's chin. Dave was momentarily shocked, but quickly got over it. However, he couldn't ignore the way his heart was racing or how his hand shook as he pulled the blanket up over them both. Hal timidly pressed himself a little bit closer, warmth finally enveloping his body. 

***

Hal woke up to the sound of heavy wind whistling outside, but he was incredibly warm. The sun hasn't started to rise yet, so Hal wasn't too worried about getting up immediately.   
His head was buried in the crook of Dave's neck and with every breath he took, he was met with the scent that was uniquely Dave. It was rather comforting, actually. He wouldn't mind risking his life for the rest of his days if it meant he could stay in Dave's embrace forever, waking up in his arms every morning.   
His hand was curled up beside him, grasping weakly onto the shirt covering Dave's chest. Dave's own arm was slung around Hal's waist, holding him close. Hal could hear Dave's heartbeat, could feel every breath he took with the gentle rise and fall of his chest, and in this moment he felt at peace. But there was a lingering sense of anxiety in the back of his mind. Later on, they're going to have to talk about this. Or if they don't, they could just pretend this never happened and go on with their lives.   
But could Hal pretend like this never happened? Would he be able to hide his feelings after this? Would things get awkward between them, to the point where their lack of communication becomes worse than it already is? Or maybe-   
Dave grunted in his ear, which startled Hal out of his thoughts. He didn't notice his hand desperately clutched at Dave's shirt while his breaths became rapid. Dave spoke without even opening his eyes, the hand on his waist rubbing small circles into the skin there. Dave hadn't even fallen asleep yet, but Hal didn't know that. Dave figured Hal started having a nightmare due to the way he grasped his shirt, his uneven breaths, and how he began mumbling incoherent sentences. A nightmare wouldn't be too far from the truth, honestly. His mind could be his worst enemy sometimes. 

"Go back to sleep, Hal. It's alright, I'm here." 

Hal let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. He knew they would have to talk about this. But for now, it was okay. They were okay. This was okay.   
So Hal pressed himself closer, and if Dave asked about it in the morning, he could blame it on the cold. He was going to let himself have this one little ounce of happiness, even if it meant he could never have it again.   
He drifted off to sleep with the thought of the possibility that maybe, just maybe, things could blossom into something more.


	3. Just a Scratch [minor angst]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING(s): briefly mentioned NSFW related topics, mentioned of blood & death  
> -minor angst with a happy ending-
> 
> //ok one more thing. i know i’m supposed to use periods after some dialogue, but fuck i got into a habit of not using them and it’s awful but i can’t stop//

Dave took another slow drag of his cigarette, savoring the way the smoke burned the back of his throat. His gaze was locked on the male perched in front of him, briefly reminiscing about how last night they were in the same position, but for a completely different reason. Dave turned his head and let smoke trickle past his lips, the memory fleeting his mind along with it. 

Hal's hands trembled as he cleaned a rather deep cut on Dave's hand, despite Dave's resistance and exasperated sigh. 

"I'm fine, Otacon. It’s just a scratch, it’ll heal up quickly. You don’t need to fret about me.” 

"That's what you said last time..” Hal mumbled, his voice tight as if he were choking back tears. If Dave noticed, he didn't say anything.  
He wouldn't let Dave see how frightened he really was. He wasn't scared because of the cut per say, he was scared of the memories that lingered with the familiar stench of blood. 

The way Dave's once lifeless eyes stared up at him as he begged him not to leave, blood coating his hands and clothes. Blood that wasn’t his own.  
Hal remembers how he broke down into Dave’s chest, terrified that this would be the last time he’s able to hold him. Instead of their hands linked together, Hal’s own hands were clasped together, desperately attempting to bring him back to life. 

He thinks of the many times Dave had almost died in Hal's hands while he fought to patch up bloody wounds as best he could.  
The multiple bullet wounds and gashes from knives, among other countless injuries from missions gone wrong. 

The way that no matter how many times he scrubbed his hands, the sight of Dave's blood remains on clear skin. 

Wounds that could've been prevented if Hal had been quicker to respond, or if he just-

"Hal"

Hal didn't even notice he stopped his ministrations yet. His eyes were glassy and unfocused, a look Dave was familiar with. Once Dave said his name, Hal blinked away unshed tears and looked up at him, immediately noticing how his hands shook. 

"Oh, uh, s-sorry I.." 

Hal dropped his sentence almost immediately, instead focusing on finishing up wrapping some gauze around Dave's hand. Dave sucked down the last of his cigarette before pressing it into the ashtray. 

Dave brought his non-injured hand up to run through Hal's hair while Hal let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding. He always found it comforting when Dave played with his hair, or when he subtly traced patterns on his hand when they were in public. Dave wasn't very big on PDA, but some hand-holding he could deal with.  
It helped calm both of their nerves, if he were being honest. Besides, it was always nice to see the small smile it brought to his boyfriend’s face. 

"What're you thinking about?" 

"Do you want an honest answer, or something to lighten the mood?" Hal said without looking up. 

"Hit me with both, I'll take a guess which one you're really thinking of” 

Dave spoke as he carded his fingers through Hal's hair, purposefully messing it up. Hal let out a slight smile and finished up his ministrations with a light kiss to Dave's palm. 

"Okay, you caught me," Hal sighed and laid his head down on Dave's leg, his cheek smushed against his thigh. "I was thinking about how cute dogs look when they wear bandanas as collars. Especially corgis. They're just so fat and huggable! Do they know how fashionable they are? Do they plan to gain world domination due to humans fumbling and giggling over their adorableness? Or do they just...Not know?" Hal tried his best to look convincing as he looked up at Dave. 

"And this is what caused you to space out while bandaging my hand?" He asked in a skeptical tone. 

Hal frowned. "...What happens if you die one day, Snake?" His voice came out much softer than he intended it to. 

"You know it's going to happen. It can't be prevented, no matter what we do. Death lurks at every corner, and you know that just as well as I do. So if it ever comes to that, you move on you keep living your life." 

"No, I know that, I just mean.."  
Hal furrowed his brows in thought.  
Would he really be able to move on, though? Back in the beginning stages of their relationship, they talked about this. They agreed that if something happened to the other, they would move on with their own life.  
But..Could they now? They were both beginning to doubt what they agreed on before, yet they would never say so out loud.  
Sure, they would be able to keep living, but would they be the same? 

"What if something happens and I can't help you, Dave? What if the next 'scratch' turns into your last?"

Dave sighed and averted his gaze. 

"I just...don't want to lose you. There's been too many close calls I-I..." Hal’s words got caught in his throat. He choked back a small sob, stubbornly refusing to let his tears fall. 

Dave pulls Hal up from where he was kneeling in front of him, holding his head in his hands before giving him a reassuring kiss. A few tears slipped down Hal’s cheeks, but Dave was quick to wipe them away with his thumbs.  
When they pulled away from each other, Dave gently brought their foreheads together. 

“Quit worrying so much, I accidentally scraped my hand while trying to peel an apple, it's not like I got shot-“ 

Hal shot him a disapproving look, knowing that Dave has been shot before- right in front of him, too. It wasn’t that long ago; the wound wasn’t even fully healed yet. 

"Okay, bad analogy, but the point remains the same. I’m fine Hal, I promise.” 

Hal scrunched his nose, looking as if he just tasted something bitter. 

“Hey, don’t give me that look!” 

Hal sighed, closing his eyes for a brief moment. He hesitantly held his pinky out to Dave when he opened them again. Dave almost immediately locked their pinkies together, causing Hal to smile. 

//liste n,,i headcanon that a pinky promise is form of absolute trust between them because it’s just adorable okay. legendary super soldier & anime nerd boyfriends still use pinky promises: more at 11//


End file.
